MS Dhoni celebrates daughter's birth by opening champagne bottle

Adelaide: The International Cricket Council hosted a dinner for the Indian team here on Saturday night on the eve of their first World Cup practice match against Australia.

To celebrate the birth of India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s daughter, the skipper was made to open a champagne bottle, something which cheered up the room in no small measure. His teammates reminded him that they expected a party from him soon to which he agreed without any hesitation.

In my experience, the Indian team has never been so busy prior to a World Cup. Dhoni & Co were put through the wringer as it were.

Busy day for playersThe team had to first try out their new World Cup jerseys and then had their photographs shot by the official broadcasters to be used in television graphics during the matches. They also had to sign several bats for promotion and face the members of the fourth estate for a media session. Of course, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan and the captain interacted with the media. To top it all, they had a wholesome practice session in the afternoon at the Adelaide Oval.

The players also had to meet with ICC officials. It was a hot day in Adelaide with the players having to cope with the 40-degree temperature. Sunday will be yet another high-action day with India and Australia not wanting to give an inch in practice game.